Find the Oregon Health Insurance Plans Right for You
Oregon health insurance plans can be found in various forms but most health care insurance packages can be found in one of three main categories. These plans include HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plans, Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) programs and Indemnity coverage, each with its own requirements, benefits and restrictions. Each of these plans offers reasonable levels of health coverage for most consumers, but the plans vary in restrictions, coverage, approved health providers and premium rates.
In an HMO, only health services received from a network-affiliated health service provider will be included in the plan, and any specialized health care must be referred by a primary physician in order to be reimbursable. In a PPO plan, health care is covered at a greater percentage when you use an in-network provider with discount network rates, but you may also go to out-of-network health providers and receive a lesser reimbursement of your expenses. With an Indemnity coverage plan, you may select any health service provider you wish, and you will have coverage for an established percentage reimbursement of your health care expenses. Out of these programs, HMO packages will have the least expensive premium rates, while Indemnity coverage plans are the most comprehensive and are priced at the highest premiums.
When selecting between an HMO, a PPO or an Indemnity plan, you should first determine whether your preferred doctors, labs and hospitals are included in the HMO or PPO health provider network. Next, you should determine how much flexibility you would want in choosing health specialists should you need these services. Finally, you will need to consider the trade-off between more freedom in choosing physicians, labs and hospitals versus the significantly higher premiums associated with having more choices.